Truck box with convertible rack



Sept. 24, 1957 wkwmw H. J. NEPPLE TRUCK BOX WITH CONVERTIBLE RACK Filed Sept. 2, 1955 Fig. 2

n Herbert J. Nepp/e 48 INVENTORQ BY E Attorney:

TRUCK BOX WITH CONVERTIBLE RACK Herbert J. N epple, Templeton, Iowa 7 Application September 2, 1955, Serial No. 532,263 2 Claims. (Cl. 296-13) The present invention relates, broadly speaking, to a farm wagon or so-called truck box which is characterized by a box built on a bottom or bed and wherein, as usual, the side and end Walls thereof are provided with foldable companion walls which when swung up to positions vertically alignedwith the fixed walls serve to convert the structure, in a generally well known manner, into a rack, that is, a structure for confining livestock, hay and the like.

As the preceding general statement of the subject matter of the invention reasonably well reveals so-called convertible wagon box and complemental stock rack means are well known and in common use. It is also customary in this line of endeavor to hingedly mount the rack forming walls on stationary box walls and to then swing the rack walls outwardly and downwardly against the exterior sides of the box walls when said rack walls are not in use. It is common practice to utilize hook and eye fasteners to maintain the rack walls in their down out-of-the-way position. These types of fasteners are insecure and become quite loose after being in use for some time. Therefore, the rack walls rattle and clatter and are generally objectionable, especially when the wagon box is empty.

The obvious object of the present invention, is therefore, to provide improved fastening means for the rack walls when they are folded out and down. To this end, sturdy easily accessible latch bolts are provided.

In carrying out the present invention each rack wall is provided with at least one slidingly mounted easy-tooperate latch bolt. For each latch bolt the floor or bed outwardly of the truck or box is provided with keeper means for the bolt. The keeper means is preferably a simple apertured plate or cleat which releasably receives the keeper-forming-end of the complemental latch bolt.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a view in section and elevation showing the rack wall in its up rack-forming position and also showing, in phantom lines, how said wall swings out and down and is then latched in a relatively fixed out-of-the-way position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view detailing the latch bolt, and

Fig. 3 is a view in section and elevation which serves to bring out a structural detail to be hereinafter touched upon.

Referring now to the drawings with the aid of reference numerals and accompanying lead lines and with reference first to Fig. 1, it will be evident that this view does not illustrate the complete box or rack. These structural characteristics of a truck are well known. The disclosure is purposely simplified by merely showing one of each of the walls of the box and rack respectively. Also,

United States Patent there is shown a fragmentary portion of the bottom or bed and this is denoted by the numeral 6. It is of any appropriate construction and is provided on one marginal edge with the fixed vertically disposed box wall 8 This, as usual, is provided with vertical exterior post-like braces or uprights 9. Hinged on the upper edge of these by suitable hinge means 10 is the complemental openwork or slatted rack wall 12. These walls 8 and 12 are of customary construction and may be either imperforate or top edge 18 there is a U-shaped bracket 20 which pro-,

vides mounting means for the cooperating latch bolt 22. This is preferably a heavy duty or sturdy bolt and it is slidably mounted in a hole 24 in the upper arm 26 and in a similar bolt hole 28 in the lower arm 30. .The bight portion 32 of the bracket is superimposed against and bolted or otherwise secured to the surface 14 of the uppermost slat. It will be noticed that the portion of the bolt which spans the space between the arms 26 and 30 is provided (see Fig. 3) with a groove 34 and a split ring or washer 36 is snapped and held in this groove. The washer constitutes a stop shoulder and when it is engaged with the arm 30 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 it prevents downward displacement or loss of the bolt or pin 22 from the bracket 29. When in the inverted position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 it then drops against and provides a stop shoulder for the arm 26. In the last-named position what may be designated as the keeper-forming end 38 of the bolt drops into keeper means provided therefor in the bed of the box. if desired the bed may be provided with a bore or hole 40 which functions as a part of the over-all keeper hole. The main keeper hole 42, however, is formed in the cleat or plate 44 which is seen in Fig. 1 and which is fastened to the bed 6 in alignment, of course, with the cooperating latch bolt 22. The then existing upper end 46 of the latch bolt is provided with a pull chain 48 which may be grasped and used to assist in lifting and releasing the latch bolt.

The disclosure depicted in Fig. 2 appears to be selfexplanatory insofar as the use or operation is concerned. That is to say, when the walls 8 and 12 are in the full line aligned position a rack is provided in a well known manner. The walls 12 are fastened in this up position by any suitable fasteners (not shown). When the rack is not to be used the wall 12 is swung out and down to the dotted line position illustrated, whereupon the latch bolt is dropped into the keeper hole and the rack wall is then securely fastened in a manner so that it will not rattle or bang against the adjacent box wall 8.

It will be clear, therefore, that the improved construction herein revealed is such that it will, it is believed, meet with the requirements of wagon and truck manufacturers and, especially, with the expected needs of farmers and others who employ these convertible type trucks and wagons.

At the present time these racks are equipped with a hook bolt that goes through the bed of the truck and is hooked to the rack in the down position and then tightened by a wing nut on the underside of the truck bed. The purpose of my latch is to simplify the raising of the upper portion of the rack from its down position as well as to simplify the locking of the rack from its upward to its down position.

The latch is to be mounted on the OUiSidG Of the rack in its upward position so that when it is folded down the lock will be between the uprights of both the upper and lower portion of the rack. The chain will be fastened in such a manner so that it can be easily pulled to raise the bolt from the .hole in the truck, bed and the rack can then be raised to its up. position.

The foregoingis, considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerousmod ifications, andchangeswill readily occur to those skilled in .the art, it is not desired, to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shownand described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may. be resorted, to, falling within the scope ,of the. invention claimed.

What is claimed as .new is as follows:

1. In, a truck construction, a-bodystructure embodying abed horizontallydisposed, a box embodying a wallfixed to, and risingvertically from the top of said bed, an outwardly and downwardly folding rack-forming wall hing edly mountedon the upper horizontal edge portion of saidboxwalland, when notinuse, being foldable against theexterior side of, said box wall to, an out-of-the-way down position, saidbed having at least, one, keepershole situated outwardly of ,the exterior side of said box wall, 25

at uzshapedwbracket, having a bight portion superimposed uponand .fixedto the exterior side ofthe upper-edge portion of said .rack-forming-wall when the latter is dis posed in its. up position and having arms projecting perpendicularlyfrom saidglast-named wa11,said arms being provided with aligned-bolt holes which are registerable with said keeper hole when the rack-forming-wall is in its down position, a gravity operable latch bolt slidingly mounted for operation in the bolt holes and having a keeper-forming-end projecting above the uppermost arm and also the uppermost edge of said rack-wall, whereby when said rack wall is in its out-of-the-way down position, said bracket and latch boltassume a position between said walls and said keper-forming-end then drops into said keeper hole under the: forces of gravity.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein the intermediate portion of the latch bolt spans the space between the bracket arms,.a stop washer mountedat one end of said intermediate portion and adapted to rest against the outer surface-of the lower arm when the rack forming wall is up and to drop down and adapted to rest against the inner surface of the upper arm when the latter is in its normal down position.

References Cited'in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Meink Mar.- 9, 1915 

